TORONTO — Although it's technically a school day, a horde of children and teenagers flocks toward the practice facility at the MasterCard Centre in hopes of getting an autograph from Joe Thornton, Brent Burns, and Logan Couture before the San Jose Sharks take the ice.

Aaron Dell, who's posting numbers that rival any goaltender in the league, breezes through the crowd without being recognized. "The World's Okayest Goalie" has outperformed his nickname, but widespread acclaim has yet to follow.

It seems apparent to everyone but Dell - and, perhaps, the legion of otherwise awestruck children - that the 28-year-old is becoming one of the NHL's most surprising stars. Across 15 appearances (11 starts), he's posting a superlative .934 save percentage and 1.98 goals-against average entering Thursday's road game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both of those stats rank third in the NHL.